Anne Donovan

• Born: November 1, 1961
• Birthplace: Ridgewood, New Jersey
• Died: June 13, 2018
• Place of death: Wilmington, North Carolina

Early Life

Anne Donovan was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey, on November 1, 1961. The youngest of eight children, Donovan was picked on as the baby of the family. However, at school, she was teased for a different reason: her height. Donovan’s father was 6 feet 6 inches, her mother was 5 feet 11 inches, and all her brothers and sisters ranged from 5 feet 11 inches to 7 feet 1 inch. Everywhere she traveled, Donovan was looked upon differently because of her tallness, which caused her much frustration. Eventually, she found a sport in which she could release her frustrations: basketball. Although Donovan’s father died when she was five years old, he instilled a love of the sport. He set up a basketball hoop outside the family’s house, and the older children played while Donovan watched. She received the most valuable player trophy in fifth grade and felt that she was destined to be a great basketball player.

The Road to Excellence

Donovan and each of her siblings loved basketball, and they all continued to play the sport into their adolescences. Donovan’s mother raised eight children by herself, so when they misbehaved she sent them out to play basketball. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that during these times, talent was turning into skill in most of her children. In her youngest child particularly, a champion was developing. Donovan attended Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus, New Jersey. As a freshman Donovan had reached 6 feet tall. Although she was ridiculed, her height was an advantage in basketball. With her skill and determination, she became one of the best players in the nation. Throughout high school she continued to grow until she reached the astonishing height of 6 feet 8 inches. Five of her siblings continued to play basketball as well, and they all received athletic scholarships to attend college. As a senior, Donovan was the most highly recruited player in the nation and chose to attend Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, Virginia.

The Emerging Champion

In 1979, Donovan started her collegiate career with ODU. In 1980, Donovan led her ODU team to victory in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics Women’s Basketball Championship, which was the forerunner to the NCAA Basketball Tournament. She led the team to two more championship appearances during her four years as a Lady Monarch player. She earned Kodak All-American honors for three years as well as academic all-American honors for two straight seasons. In 1983, she was awarded the Naismith Award. Not only was Donovan the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in ODU history and the NCAA’s all-time shot-blocker, she also graduated college with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5, with a major in leisure studies. This achievement qualified her for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship for her academic achievements.

Because of the US boycott of the 1980 Olympics, Donovan was unable to compete. However, in 1984, she became an Olympic gold medalist when the US women’s basketball team won in the final round of the 1984 Olympic Games. Donovan continued playing with the US basketball team, until moving onto the professional level after the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. As a professional, Donovan played in both Japan and Italy. Donovan’s time in Japan was difficult. The overly intense training became a major distraction to her and her team. She played in Japan for five years before moving to Italy to play with a less extreme coaching staff on a respectable professional team. Although Italian basketball was considered a less competitive brand than Japanese basketball, Donovan described her experience as the most memorable and fun of her playing career.

Move to Coaching

Donovan’s accomplishments as a basketball player were impressive, and she was on track for a promising career. However, while playing professionally in Italy, she was informed of a health issue in a routine medical examination, which forced her to end her career. She continued her involvement in the sport and became the assistant coach for ODU from 1989 to 1995. After the assistantship at her alma mater, she accepted a position as the head coach at East Carolina University from 1995 to 1997. Donovan then became the head coach of the Philadelphia Rage of the American Basketball League, which eventually folded with the formation of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Donovan served as the interim coach with the Indiana Fever in the WNBA in 2000. In 2001, Donovan became head coach of the Charlotte Sting and led the team to the WNBA Finals in 2001, losing to the Los Angeles Sparks. In 2003, Donovan moved to Seattle, where she became the second head coach of the Seattle Storm. Under Donovan’s leadership, the Storm won the WNBA Championship in 2004. The next season, Donovan became the first female coach to win one hundred games in the WNBA and, after another successful year, her contract with Seattle was extended. In 2006, she continued her winning tradition, compiling the third-most coaching victories in WNBA history. Donovan’s passion led her to achieve many great accomplishments; in the fall of 2007, Donovan resigned as coach of the Seattle Storm. However, this legend in the basketball world was not finished with the sport. In January of 2006, she was named the head coach of the US women’s team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and led the team to a gold medal. She then served as the head coach at Seton Hall University, from 2010 to 2013, before becoming the head coach of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun. She stayed with the Sun until 2015, when she retired from coaching. Donovan died from a heart problem on June 13, 2018.

Impact

Donovan was one of the most influential women’s basketball players in the United States and world. She was inducted into the ODU Sports Hall of Fame in 1988, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame 1999. Donovan’s will and enthusiasm for her sport gave her the drive she needed to be successful. She was a groundbreaking player and coach and became a legend in basketball.

Bibliography

Bjarkman, Peter C. The Biographical History of Basketball. Lincolnwood, Ill.: Masters, 1998.

Donovan, Anne. Women’s Basketball: The Post Player’s Handbook. Terre Haute, Ind.: Wish, 2001.

Sandomir, Richard. "Anne Donovan, a Power in Women’s Basketball, Dies at 56." The New York Times, 14 June 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/06/14/obituaries/anne-donovan-a-power-in-womens-basketball-dies-at-56.html. Accessed 19 Nov. 2018.

Taragano, Martin. Basketball Biographies: 434 U.S. Players, Coaches, and Contributors of the Game, 1891-1990. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 1991.